In comparison to the surge of mayhem preceding Saturday’s New Moon/Solar Eclipse, this week’s skies appear as calm as a still pool, dominated by your garden variety lunar aspects with a single, solitary planet-to-planet alignment at the end of the week (as opposed to last week’s dozen). This is the final week of Mercury retrograde as it’s set to station direct late Saturday, Aug. 18 when the information tide turns. As quiet as it appears on the surface, stationing Mercury in its “storm” will amplify the datasphere as we move further into the week, turning the volume to 11 by next weekend. Use discernment over what you set in motion by word as it will carry the Mercury retrograde imprint well beyond Mercury’s station.

It’s also worth remembering that the things we physically set in motion by deed will carry the imprint of Mars retrograde which has been moving back toward the beginning of Aquarius since it began retrograde in June 26. This weekend sees Mars retracing its steps back into Capricorn (a sign it visited this past spring); after Mars ends retrograde on Aug. 27, it will reenter Aquarius two weeks later.

The Warrior, retrograding back into Capricorn suggests returning to the scene of the crime, as it were, particularly where matters involving responsibility, accountability, caution, resistance and ambition are mixed with force, anger, fear and violence. Mars retrograding back into Capricorn is likely to reawaken a challenge (Capricorn) to man-child fantasies of violence, aggression and abusive attitudes (Mars) while also calling attention to socially ingrained (Capricorn) behaviors (Mars) and attitudes toward sex (Mars) with regard to all genders.

Remember Mars retrograde is often seen as ineffective when it comes to forcing things to happen or proceeding with a lack of care and follow-through? Where good ideas never really get off the ground? Space Force, anyone? It’s fortunate for all who live and breathe on Planet Earth that the current administration’s initiative to weaponize space was officially introduced last Wednesday at the inferior conjunction of the Sun and Mercury. Nope. Ain’t going to happen, Mike.

Low-Gravity

Despite a lack of strong geocosmic signatures this week, we may find ourselves experiencing a sense of growing strangeness or feelings of psychic vulnerability. Here we meet the early stages of a mega-alignment formation as expansive Jupiter in Scorpio applies to a 120 degree (trine) aspect to nebulous Neptune in Pisces this week before they make an exact trine Aug. 19. This is often a spiritually uplifting combination as it magnifies the higher frequencies of love and compassion, empowering meditation and prayer, forgiveness and grace. On lower frequencies of manifestation, it often indicates exaggerated lies, deceptive practices, cover-ups, ideological delusions, collective psychosis and/or epidemics. The lines between the real and the imaginary blur and in some cases, disappear entirely, so rest assured it’s not just you.

Look Up!

If you haven’t been out to see the Perseid Meteor Showers yet, they’re peaking before dawn on Monday morning and worth getting out to watch, with no Moon, the dark skies will be quite spectacular. Also watch the Moon grow as it makes close encounters to Venus on Tuesday and Jupiter on Thursday. The sky’s putting on a splendid show this summer, get out and see it while you can!

Lunar Gardening Report

After a lull in favorable planting and fertilizing days this past week, we’re almost out of the weeds once we get past the Moon in not-so-fertile Virgo Sunday and Monday. That’s when the young Moon enters a five-day window of excellent planting and feeding conditions as it increases in light while passing through Libra and Scorpio. Tuesday and Wednesday are excellent days for planting flowers - both annuals and perennials - as well as vining plants, trees and shrubbery when the Moon’s in Libra. Thursday through Saturday morning are excellent for germinating, planting, transplanting, repotting, cutting to encourage growth and fertilizing with dark, composted material and poop while we’re under the agricultural auspices of the waxing Scorpio Moon. Saturday afternoon and Sunday see the Moon in Sagittarius where it would be better to focus on weeding, cutting, clearing and mowing than putting anything in the ground that has roots.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC)

Sunday, Aug. 12: Yesterday’s New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse in Leo continues to resonate like a struck gong while the Moon crosses into Virgo just after midnight. A close eye for detail and a tendency to be overly-critical are potential manifestations although the Virgo Moon shines when it comes to organizing and prioritizing in the run-up to the workweek. Mars retrogrades out of Aquarius and back over the cusp into Capricorn tonight, returning to this cautious, productive and sometimes resistant earth sign, having last visited Mar. 17 - May 15. Mars ends retrograde in Capricorn in two weeks before returning to Aquarius again on Sept. 10, marking the coming month as a time of revisiting or reactivating actions that took place this past spring. The Moon intersects Jupiter and Neptune after midnight, lending itself to a sense of expansive well-being and very vivid dreams. This also graces the Perseid Meteor Showers with a touch of magic as they reach their annual peak overnight tonight, more numerous before dawn tomorrow morning.

Monday, Aug. 13: With the New Crescent Moon taking on light in Virgo, the focus is on tentative new beginnings although it's important to be mindful that Mercury (Virgo analog) is retrograde for the remainder of the week, impacting things written or spoken for weeks to come. Otherwise, cleaning, sorting, filing, organizing, scheduling and other matters requiring painstaking attention to detail are highly favored today.

Tuesday, Aug. 14: Once we get on the other side of an early morning stressor, the Libra Moon lends itself to peaceful, cooperative endeavors mixed with a proprietary blend of indecision, ambiguity and procrastination. Early afternoon is ideal for heart-to-heart discussions when the Moon joins Venus while we should look for this celestial pair shining low on the western horizon at dusk. Late night conversations revisit or rehash something from out of the past, perhaps something that really needs to be forgiven and released. Move on.

Wednesday, Aug. 15: Somebody is flexing their ego this morning, leading to a potential test of wills or a pissing contest instead of the pressing business at hand. The air clears by noon once the Libra Moon negotiates a truce and we locate allies to assist us in finishing the job. Dinner for two.

Thursday, Aug. 16: Coinciding with emotional intensity and a propensity for extremes, the waxing Moon in Scorpio could lend itself to odd or unpredictable occurrences, challenging our equilibrium midmorning while we find some grounding a short time later. Serious business is at hand. The Moon will be seen approaching brilliant Jupiter in the southwestern sky tonight, expansive, sexy energies are on the rise.

Friday, Aug. 17: The Scorpio Moon moves into the Jupiter-Neptune trine, becoming exact on Sunday, suggesting serious shapeshifting and reality-bending events that bring into question the line between the real and the unreal. How this is used depends on the user involved, but wherever exaggeration and hyperbole surface it’s likely a cover for some larger deception. Something is building today and tonight as Mercury prepares to turn stationary direct tomorrow night.

Saturday, Aug. 18: Mercury Stationary Direct. Both today and tomorrow are the busiest days in the heavens that we’ve seen since last week’s eclipse with Mercury slowing ahead of turning direct. The Scorpio Moon enters its First Quarter Moon before sunrise today, suggesting a time for readjustment or recalibration with a strong boost of energy in the late morning. This sets-off a brief VOC period between 11:07 am and 12:45 pm when the Moon enters Sagittarius and we lighten-up a bit after the heavies in Scorpio. Lunch with a friend or any kind of midday social activity is highly recommended along with words of love and praise (Venus sextile stationary Mercury). Mercury ends retrograde late tonight (just after midnight Eastern Time) while it hovers over 11 degrees Leo. Wait. For. It.

Astrological storm warnings are posted the entire week with the approach of the Leo New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse on Aug. 11 along with nearly a dozen geocosmic events of significance leading up to this eclipse. Central to the overall tenor of the week involves Uranus stationary retrograde at the beginning of Taurus, lending an unpredictable and volatile twist to mundane affairs. Combined with the unpredictable qualities of both Mercury and Mars retrograde aspecting other planets, nothing should shock us as we press forward into the surging tide of transformation. The key to navigating the coming week is to focus loving attention inward while joyfully participating in the outward things that make us happy and wise.

The Lunar Darkening

We’re now reaching the final week of the current solar-lunar cycle, a cycle which began at the Cancer New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse on July 12; reached its climax at the Aquarius Full Moon/Total Lunar Eclipse on July 27 and now finally closing ahead of Saturday’s Leo New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse. Being the last of three eclipses suggests something being brought to closure this week, both on a collective scale of expression and on a personal one as well. I would suggest that this is where our shadows more starkly emerge to be recognized and released as we come to know ourselves in a new way.

As with all Last Quarter Phase moons, this is a time for shedding old skin before growing new; of reaping the harvest instead of planting; of letting go of whatever no longer serves our highest good as opposed to clinging to those things out of fear. With this Last Quarter Phase falling between two eclipses, this theme of release carries even more significance. The Moon’s Balsamic Phase (closing crescent) is not only about accepting, but allowing what is instead of what could have been. On a mundane level, this week is best for finishing, completing, finalizing and consolidating.

Solar Eclipse

The Leo New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse takes place on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 5:58 am (Eastern Time) near the middle of Leo (18Leo42). Similar to the Partial Solar Eclipse which was visible in the extreme Southern Hemisphere last month, this one will be visible in the extreme Northern Hemisphere with folks living in Northern Scotland and parts of Scandinavia seeing the Moon take a small bite out of the Sun. Although not as potent as the solar eclipse we experienced last August, there is still some power behind this partial eclipse in that it serves as an amplified New Moon. Opening the cycle in Leo, this would suggest greater levels of self-expression, creativity and drama coming to the foreground over the course of the weeks to come. Events or persons from the past are likely to capture our attention in the days surrounding the Leo New Moon Eclipse although it would be best to wait before drawing any conclusions as this story is far from over.

Uranus Stationary Retrograde

As regular readers are probably aware, the slower-moving, outermost planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) station retrograde every year and spend many months in retrograde. In the big picture, these slow-motion retrogrades tend to be more subtle and don’t have the same immediate impact we find with the faster-movers (Mercury, Venus and Mars). It’s actually when the outer planets are stationary (before and after directional changes) that they tend to act up as their apparent motionless states act as amplifiers for the qualities associated with each planet.

All this week sees Uranus stationary, hovering over the early degrees of Taurus (02Tau33) where its revolutionary, radical and disruptive qualities are seen to be magnified before it imperceptibly turns retrograde on Tuesday. This is going to lend even more potential chaos to the overall tenor of the times in terms of revelations, exposures, explosions and awakenings. Those of you born at the very beginning of Taurus should expect the unexpected, particularly if you’ve been dealing with confining circumstances as the desire to break free of limitations could seem overwhelming.

Once Uranus changes direction, every planet besides Venus and Jupiter will be in retrograde which, symbolically speaking, suggests that the real action is taking place on inner levels of expression instead of overt manifestations. This then is an opportunity for more reflection and review instead of the constant need to put it all out there all of the time. Speaking of which:

Mars and Mercury

As you know, the planet of movement and activity (Mars) and the planet of information and travel (Mercury) are currently retrograde, placing a strong spin on all matters involving words and actions. Mercury joins the Sun on Wednesday (Inferior Conjunction), marking the mid-way point of its retrograde cycle and a time when there can be a noticeable shift in how information is disseminated. Added to the fact that the Moon is in its dark, closing phase, be careful about what you put out there this week, at least until you get the lay of the land.

I’ve been noticing on my news-feed (Mercury) that the popular press has finally gotten hip to Mercury retrograde when five years ago hardly anyone (aside from my faithful readers) knew what that meant. Now I see headlines like: “10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself During Mercury Retrograde,” and “Mercury Retrograde’s Impact on Your Relationship,” or “How to Survive Mercury Retrograde.” Really folks, Mercury retrograde can be a pain in the ass, but it doesn’t call for the over-reactive hype the popular press seems to give Mercury retrograde while completely ignoring Mars retrograde. Ebb and flow.

Of course, the only things that go wrong are inept, reactive thoughts and actions messing things up, both in the short term and the long run. Angry words, uttered or tweeted will come back to haunt while going on the offensive will result in failure and loss. Knowing when to stage a strategic retreat or to keep one thoughts to themselves is really all it takes to navigate this time; in other words, present-time awareness. Being mindful of what is said and done will probably make more sense later, when the dust finally settle. But neither Mars nor Mercury in retrograde are worth getting stressed over, they merely suggest a time to take notes and contemplate.

Lunar Gardening Report

This isn’t a good week to plant or feed with the Moon in its Last Quarter Phase where the trend is more about reaping than it is sowing or tending. Of course, this works out for those of you who planted well so far this season with impossibly luscious tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and melons coming off the vine. Sunday isn’t a bad day to do stuff besides planting or fertilizing in the garden when the Moon is in Taurus, but Monday and Tuesday would be best for harvesting and drying herbs or flowers under the Gemini Moon. Wednesday and Thursday are typically potent planting and feeding days under the Cancer Moon, but with the Moon in its Balsamic Phase, just give your beds lots of water and a little pep-talk. Friday and Saturday are no-go as well with Moon in fiery Leo and in the deepest, darkest shadow of the Moon ahead of Saturday’s New Moon. The next best date for planting and fertilizing arrives on Aug. 14.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC)

Sunday, Aug. 5: We’re now reaching a period of relative calm, at least as far as the heavens are concerned while the Taurus Moon moves through its Last Quarter Phase. Although there’s enough juice to get projects done around the house, the Taurus Moon can also encourage a more chilled, laid-back experience today. The evening is favorable for picnics, barbeques, parties and other social gatherings with conversations lasting well into the night after the Moon enters Gemini at 9:30 pm.

Monday, Aug. 6: An active day in store with the Gemini Moon amplifying the chatter factor while retrograde Mercury (Gemini analog) does a remix on words uttered or posted. Watch what you agree to as the potential of biting off more than you can chew is strong later in the day (Sun square Jupiter). I also expect this aspect to reflect some kind of news involving courts or legislation with something going off the rails, again. Exiting the straight-laced sign of Virgo, Venus sheds her schoolmarm outfit as she slips over the cusp of Libra and into something more comfortable for the coming month. As Venus is a planetary analog of Libra, this could bode well for intimate relationships in need of a little romance and before things grow serious next month when Venus enters Scorpio.

Tuesday, Aug. 7: Watch for the Moon void-of-course (VOC) in Gemini for the entire day today, messing with our best-laid plans and sincere agreements. But this is the least of our concerns considering Uranus turns stationary retrograde at 12:48 pm even though its apparent motion has been nearly imperceptible for the past five days, Unexpected, shocking, explosive and revolutionary developments are on tap at this time with a push-comes-to-shove factor at the very beginning of the fixed earth sign of Taurus (02Tau33). Eye-openers and awakenings go side-by-side with plenty of WTFs thrown in for good measure, we should expect things to grow even stranger in the days to come. One day following Venus’ entrance into her ruling sign of Libra, she forms a flowing (trine) aspect to Mars retrograde which offers the potential for passion, creativity, romance and great sex. Due to Venus currently being the most forceful of the two planets (Mars is weakened by way of retrograde), the feminine acts on the masculine in assertive or overt ways instead of the other way ‘round. After spending the entire day VOC, gibbering to itself in Gemini, the Moon crosses the cusp into the emotional waters of Cancer at midnight and we experience a sea-change in the emotional climate.

Wednesday, Aug. 8: Busy, busy day ahead with the Cancer Moon knocking-up against a number of planets, inciting greater levels of feeling and emotion while encouraging our more maternal sides. The centerpiece today involves the Sun-Mercury inferior conjunction (Earth-Mercury-Sun), marking the midpoint of Mercury retrograde and the symbolic rebirth of this planet of interaction, exchange and information. We should expect breaking news of some sort, especially in the way of announcements, proclamations and decrees which will need to be edited, retracted or redacted after the fact. Reactive tweets could prove damaging. With Neptune loosely tied into this conjunction, lies and falsehoods may try to shape the narrative, to no avail. The Moon is also in its closing, Balsamic Phase, which means the focus is on endings while even the most sincere efforts to make something new come into existence will ultimately end in failure.

Thursday, Aug. 9: The deeply-waning Moon is Cancer could have some folks on the edge of tears all day while others tend to matters closer to home, family and property. Mercury retrograde gets tangled-up in Neptune’s web of reality-bending information and misdirection while Venus runs-up against Uranus and Saturn today, suggesting shocks and sorrow with regard to items found in the love, sex and money department. Sudden breaks or unexpected developments in relationships are possible (Venus quincunx Uranus) as well as a sense of sadness or loss as we move into the evening hours (Venus square Saturn).

Friday, Aug. 10: After being put through the ringer this week in terms of planet-to-planet aspects, a day of lunar alignments looks quiet by comparison although with the looks of the aspects involving the deep, pre-eclipsed Moon in Leo, I don’t expect we’ll catch a break at all. Anger and irritation are indicated during the predawn hours while later tonight sees the potential for ideological conversations or arguments that nobody can win. Whatever is taking place at this time is simply a warm-up for the Main Event taking place early tomorrow morning.

Saturday, Aug. 11: The New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse opens a potent new cycle before sunrise today (5:58 am) in the middling degrees of Leo (18Leo42), where it sets into motion any number of scenarios which might have been building over the course of the past week. There’s also some indication that the data-sphere is going into hyper-drive over something meaningful, or totally inane (Mercury retro square Jupiter). Be aware that there is no “Cazimi Window” due to the fact that the New Moon is eclipsed and that the Moon will go VOC in Leo at the time of the eclipse (5:58 am), remaining void for the rest of the day. Compelling vision and the appearance of power is possible later tonight, but there is no telling how this is likely to manifest with things having been so strange this past week. The Perseid Meteor Showers peak overnight and with the lack of a Moon, we’ll see plenty of them.

In the seasonal calendar, we come to the cross-quarter season of Lammas on Wednesday: the Festival of the First Harvest and the commencement of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Although we obviously have at least six weeks of summer weather ahead of us, we now begin to notice the Sun setting a little earlier with each passing day and tomatoes ripening on the vine. It’s here we begin to turn our attention to whatever was sown these past three month to see what exactly, we’re set to reap.

Planetary Roundup

This week we’re entering a lull in terms of immediate geocosmic activity, a sharp-break from last week’s Mercury-Mars-Eclipse density wave. The appearance of relative quiet is a good sign considering we’re sandwiched between two potent eclipse events with a ticking time-bomb of an aspect set to detonate midweek. Let’s take a wide-angle look at some of the major drivers of cosmic commotion that are likely to manifest in real life this week and beyond.

Retrogrades

We’re in the thick of retrogradation with 5 out of 8 planetary bodies in apparent backward motion; if we count Uranus, now motionless ahead of turning retrograde next week, we’ll have 6 planets in retrograde, suggesting a period more given to soul-searching than out-picturing. Of these inwardly-turned archetypes, Mercury and Mars are the ones more likely to have an immediate impact on our mental and physical constructions. Let’s take a look...

Many of you are familiar with the impact of retrograde Mercury on communication and transportation in personal terms, but it also has a major influence on media and the free-flow of information over the Internet. Symbolically or literally, Mercury (information, words, testimonies, decrees, etc) in retrograde speaks of repetition or going back over subject matter supposedly covered once already. Second guessing and reframing questions immediately come to mind.

Currently, Mercury retrograde (only two days old at time of this writing) has already coincided with a contradiction (Mercury) of sworn testimony and calls for the reappearance (retro) of those who may have spoken falsely the first time around. It's still too early to see anything as the 24-day Mercury retrograde period has only started and is likely to call-up more questions than answers. This also gives the Trickster more time to stir the soup before springing surprises as early as Aug. 8 when Mercury meets the Sun and before the Partial Solar Eclipse on Aug.11. Anybody who is too sure of themselves will be baiting their own trap as there are a number of unseen factors at work and beyond perception with Mercury retrograde until Aug. 19. Gotcha!

In cahoots with Mercury we find Mars, now moving through the midpoint of its two-month retrograde and having just now reached its opposition with the Sun. [If you haven’t been outside at dark to see how brilliant Mars is during its closest approach to the Earth, you’re missing-out on an awesome spectacle.] Mars is the symbol of outward-directed energy as well as behavior, anger and violence; with its expression now turned inward, it continues to build steam in search of an outlet. It won’t be prudent to release the pressure until the end of August when Mars ends retrograde in Capricorn, to do otherwise could result in a major fail.

The ancient adage for Mars retrograde, “Whomever initiates the battle, loses the battle,” can be taken in a number of ways, depending on the situation, but in the bigger picture it will be interesting to see how this plays out in light of recent revelations. This will be particularly true if we see high-profile firings or dirty tricks, set to undermine those who may be closing in on the truth. It’s already too late for this tactic to work, even if Mars wasn’t retrograde.

Although the coming week is by all appearance, calm, we should be mindful of the fact that retrograde Mars is returning to form a 90-degree (square) aspect to an amplified (stationary) Uranus; meaning something is likely to detonate in the way of smoking guns, revelations, uprisings, disasters and the premature release of contents under pressure. Erratic, impulsive and ill-considered reactions are likely under this signature which is less likely to happen to those who are centered and grounding in present time. Wednesday marks the second of three such retrograde squares Mars makes to Uranus with the last having taken place back in mid-May and the next scheduled to occur on Sept. 18. Perhaps it will take that long for things to come to a head, but one cannot be too sure in light of the current reality distortion we’re experience at the moment.

Eclipse Cycles

The Total Lunar Eclipse that occurred this past Friday marked the midpoint of a three-part eclipse cycle with two partial solar eclipses on either side of the lunar eclipse. This is to say that we’re at the midpoint of a potent celestial pattern that began on July 12 and will complete itself on August 11 where many things still up in the air will begin to resolve themselves.

Considering this past Full Moon Eclipse in Aquarius was extremely important in terms of larger, historical cycles are concerned, it’s the next eclipse, the Leo New Moon/Partial Solar Eclipse of Aug. 11 is the one to watch as it refers us back to last August’s epic Leo New Moon/Total Solar Eclipse that planted the seed. As may of you know, eclipses set energies in motion that can take weeks, months or years to complete with the more potent the eclipse the longer it takes to complete itself. Solar eclipses in particular have always been associated with the “Fall of the King” as well as world leaders and important historical figures, this is most clearly expressed by eclipses occurring in the regal, solar sign of Leo.

Another point needs to be made with regard to eclipses in that it's generally considered unwise to set important matters into motion during the weeks that fall between eclipses the reasons for acting on something often become a moot point as conditions radically change. Put that in the same pot of soup with Mercury and Mars retrograde, kick back and watch the unfolding story without getting too worked-up or overly involved; at least not yet.

Lunar Gardening Report

As we oming away from Friday’s Full Moon Eclipse, the Moon is now in its waning phase, occupying agriculturally-sterile Aquarius until Sunday night. The best, and maybe last days for planting and fertilizing are on Monday and Tuesday with the Moon in Pisces; excellent for sprouting, planting, transplanting and pruning as well as feeding plants with organic, marine-based nutrients and plenty of water. The Aries Moon is in charge Wednesday through Friday afternoon; good days for weed and pest control, cutting and mowing to discourage growth, but not a good time to plant or fertilize. For the desperate, there is one tiny window available for planting between late afternoon Friday until early afternoon Saturday with the Moon in Taurus before entering its closing, Last Quarter Phase when the prohibition against planting goes into effect until Aug. 14.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC)

Sunday, July 29: About the only thing to report today is a complete lack of lunar or planetary aspects, although this isn’t to say nothing is going on as we’re still getting feedback from Friday’s Full Moon/Total Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius. With the post-eclipse Moon void-of-course (VOC) in Aquarius until 7:30 pm, this wouldn’t be a good time to make promises or agreements you wish to stick. A dreamier, more imaginative tone emerges after 7:30 pm with the Moon in Pisces; ideal for movies, concerts, novels, late night swims or an early night to bed.

Monday, July 30: We continue to see a lack of aspects through most of the day, signaling a green-light for most initiatives as long as we consider the retrograde factor messing with communication, travel and expectations. Also keep in mind that the Pisces Moon can oftentimes present a rosier picture than actually exists, so without becoming pessimistic, take a close look at anything that appears too good to be true. An expansive lunar alignment occurs just before Midnight while another, overnight contact indicates the potential for awesome dreams.

Tuesday, July 31: We’re seeing a little more action and a little less light here at Lammas Eve with the Pisces Moon making contacts speaking to applied pressure and influence during the late morning while another mid-afternoon suggests confusions or misunderstandings. Minor relationship conflicts point to an emerging awareness about something that has been largely overlooked or neglected far too long.

Wednesday, Aug. 1: Lammas/Lughnasadh. In the pagan calendar, today marks the commencement of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere although it probably still feels like the dead of summer in most locales. An energetic tone may be in evidence today with the Moon in Aries, forming an active contact to retrograde Mars which may feel frustrating if we find ourselves facing delays or blockages in the early afternoon. An extremely volatile aspect dominates, pointing to sudden, explosive events or unexpected bursts of violence (Mars retro square Uranus). This same contact occurred on May 15, before Mars turned retrograde and will do so again on Sept.18 after Mars resumes direction motion at the end of August. Boom.

Thursday, Aug. 2: We’re probably still reverberating from yesterday’s Mars-Uranus square with all manner of weirdness dominating the news cycle with gun violence back in fashion again. With the Moon still transiting Aries, the focus tends to be on aggressive actions and behaviors, while closer to home, we can harness the same energy to get stuff done. A test of wills is possible tonight with a conversation or insight that could give us plenty to chew on after the fact.

Friday, Aug. 3: With the Moon VOC in Aries until 3:51 pm, it would be good to stick with routine while avoiding agreements or decisions that need to happen as expected. After that, the Moon will enter Taurus where a more grounded tone will prevail as well as a sense of tension if there is anything accompanying such feelings. With the Moon joining the remains of Wednesday’s Mars-Uranus square tonight, we might have a revisitation or an extreme event underscoring recent developments. This would be a good time to find your center and ground until things lighten-up and we’re encouraged to find something normal to do with ourselves.

Saturday, Aug. 4: The Taurus Moon enters into its Last Quarter Phase in the early afternoon, signaling an impasse or error in need of correction as well as the cue to begin putting a wrap on projects and initiative set in motion over the course of the past three weeks. A more upbeat and optimistic tone converges tonight, ideal for parties, celebrations and other social gatherings while conversations run deep and probing, well into the wee morning hours.